Swimmer and Fighter 1
by Nan Ma
Summary: Based on Wu's DLC. Ling Tong, a student on Wu's swim team. Gan Ning, an outlaw dropout and a prize fighter. Their worlds are incompatible, but they still tread carefully to carry out a relationship.


The pool water slid around him as he propelled his body forward. Ling Tong kicked, his lithe body shooting forward. He playfully arched his back, bending his head upwards towards the surface, and undulated his body, reveling in the feel of his muscles, until his head broke the surface of the water.

"Hey."

Ling Tong treaded water in a circle to face the direction of the voice. He tugged his goggles off onto his head and broke into a smile upon seeing the figure on the edge of the pool. "Hey yourself," he said, raising himself onto the ledge.

Gan Ning knelt at the edge of the pool, grinning. His silver coat glittered in the darkness of the night, the metallic threads catching the moonlight from the skylights. "Having fun? You look real happy out there, swimming like a fish," he said wistfully.

"Yeah. I love swimming, except for when someone's making me do laps." Ling Tong made a face. "I hate practicing for team."

"Then why're you on the team?" Gan Ning scoffed.

"'Cause I want to swim, and only swim team people get the sports pool. Twenty-four seven. All the others have to use the rec pool when it's open."

"Ah, well, you can sneak in, can't ya?"

"No- but speaking of sneaking, how did you get in here? You know you're not supposed to be here," Ling Tong said, his face turning serious.

Gan Ning responded by grabbing Ling Tong's upper arms and lifting him partially out of the water. "I wanted to come see ya."

The cold air slapped against Ling Tong's wet body, and he shivered as he stepped out of the pool. "Ning…"

"Here." Gan Ning took off his jacket and slipped it onto Ling Tong's slender form.

"Thanks. But look, this isn't safe for you-"

"Your guys' security is pretty good. No match for me of course, but still pretty slick. Anyways, hard part was the security guard. I climbed the roof-"

"Four stories up? Geez, man, if you slip and break your neck, don't blame me!"

"-And I picked the padlock from the outside and went down the stairs, and-"

"Kay, I get it. You did a real job coming to see me, uninvited-"

"C'mon man, that's cold!" Gan Ning protested.

Ling Tong grinned as he sat on the pool edge, his feet dipping into the water. "You're silly, man," he said, wrapping an arm around Gan Ning's broad, bare shoulders and stroking the outlaw's neck with a wet hand.

Gan Ning turned his head and kissed his friend's hand gently. "I miss you."

Ling Tong sighed. "I miss you too. Man, I wish we could meet up more."

"You're only allowed out Sundays?" Gan Ning asked sadly.

"Yeah. Just Sunday. But don't go sneaking around, Ning!" he warned. "You could get caught-"

Gan Ning quickly leaned over and began kissing him fiercely. "Don't worry," he breathed between kisses. "Folks've been trying to catch me for years and no one's done it yet."

Ling Tong buried his face into the nape of Gan Ning's neck, smelling cheap cologne, hair gel, and sweat, even over the chlorine of the pool water. "How've you been?" he asked, running a hand through Gan Ning's thick, coarse hair.

"Can't stop thinkin' about ya, man," he sighed. "The fights sometimes help me take my mind off ya, but I can't get you outta my head."

"You sure talk about a story, don't you?"

"What, you don't believe me?"

"Don't be getting yourself killed." Ling Tong let go of Gan Ning and looked at the pool water rippling before him.

"Nah. You see this face here?" Gan Ning laughed, pointing to his handsome features. "This is the mark of a winner, man. Everything in one piece."

"Only 'cause you'd rather lose a fight than ruin your face."

"Well, what, you wanna come home to an ugly old sod?" Gan Ning demanded.

"Better that than a dead one."

Gan Ning contorted his face. "Look- you still sure 'bout that?" he asked, before relaxing it into his usual grin.

"You're silly."

"Maybe I am." Gan Ning shifted around, dipping one sneaker-clad foot into the pool water. "I heard your school's doing pretty well. Top five and all. Congrats?"

Ling Tong scoffed. "Doesn't have anything to do with me."

"I know you're proud of Wu," Gan Ning insisted.

Ling Tong chuckled.

They sat in silence for a while, watching the moonlight ripple across the deserted pool.

"I wanna take you to a fight," Gan Ning said suddenly.

Ling Tong looked up. "Hmm?"

"Not a practice like I showed you last time," Gan Ning continued, taking Ling Tong's hand and stroking his palm. "A real fight. This Sunday, when you come out. I'll take you to the pits so you can watch me."

"I'll come see you," Ling Tong said quietly.

Gan Ning smiled. "When I win, I'll toss my towel to you."

Ling Tong frowned. "What would I want your sweaty towel for?"

"C'mon, it's just what people do.

"And you're so sure you'll win?" Ling Tong snorted.

Gan Ning tightened his grip. "With you watching, I can't lose."

Ling Tong smiled. "That's actually kind of romanti-"

"-Because you'll never let me live it down."

They both broke into laughter, echoing across the still distance of the pool area. Gan Ning leaned over, pulling Ling Tong onto his lap, and kissed him again. "You still taste like pool water," he snorted.

"You're one to talk. You smell like a kid in the perfume section of a department store."

"Hey!" Gan Ning mock-scowled before sliding his hand down Ling Tong's front. He stopped in confusion. "Hey, man, where the hell's your zipper?"

"In the back."

Gan Ning tugged the zipper down so fast that Ling Tong was afraid he would rip it clean off. The cold air burned, but only for a moment for his friend descended onto his bared skin, brushing his hands and lips over every inch.

Ling Tong moaned, his blood rushing through his veins. "Oh Ning…"

"Pool water, pool water, pool water," Gan Ning muttered jokingly under his breath.

Ling Tong pinched the fighter's bellybutton and rolled aside, tugging his swimsuit off and shrugging off his borrowed jacket. "Here, come get me."

Gan Ning immediately leapt on top of him, pushing their faces together, burning him with the heat from his bared body. "When I win this Sunday, this is how I'm gonna fuck you," he whispered.

"Or if you lose, this is how I'll sop up your ego," Ling Tong snorted.

"Burn, man, burn!" Gan Ning laughed, and leaned forward again, as Ling Tong tilted his head up and surrendered himself.

* * *

><p>Done for a request. If anyone was waiting for updates for Fisherman or Cao Cao Answers Letters, BLAME THE NEW DOWNLOADABLE COSTUMES AND A CERTAIN ANON!<p> 


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